The Wolfe (36 page)

William felt a wave of relief rush
over him, although he never truly doubted Paris’ answer. He smiled in return. “You
are a loyal fool to the bone, man.”

“True,” Paris agreed. “As are
Kieran, Michael, Deinwald, Jason, and the rest of them. I have a feeling that
when you leave, Northwood will be searching for an entire officer corp.”

William’s smile faded as he thought
of his knights, his loyal vassals; if the earl only knew the extent of their
devotion to their captain. He himself had always known it but he was
nonetheless touched by the admission.

“I want to thank you, William, for
restoring my faith in the frailties of the human character,” Paris went on
brightly. “I was beginning to feel quite inadequate next to your impeccable
perfection.”

William snorted softly. “I am a weak
man.”

The mirth faded from Paris’ face. “William,
you are the strongest man I know. And Lady Jordan is the most beautiful woman I
have ever seen. You two are meant for each other.”

William looked at him and saw his
deep sincerity. He dared a brief smile. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Inside and out,” Paris agreed
quietly.

They reached the turret stairs that
descended into the bailey below. Without another word or another glance,
William descended the stairs. He could sleep now.

***

The next day was the beginning of
Jordan’s orientation into the world of Northwood Fortress.

The day dawned bright and promised
to be somewhat sticky. Jordan awoke from the sleep of the dead just after dawn
to the shouts of the sentries changing posts on the wall below her. She lay
back on her pillows for quite some time, listening to the courtyard come alive
with activity. In spite of her new situation and in spite of the horrors of the
previous day, she had never been happier.

In the antechamber that adjoined her
room she heard her maids preparing her bath, Scottish burrs intermingled with those
of haughty English house servants as buckets of hot water were brought up.
Listening to the activity and catching snatches of conversation, she decided to
rise and make her presence known. Mayhap the English servants would cease their
rudeness to her women when they saw the mistress about.

As soon as she got out of the bed
she spotted the remains of her purity on the bed sheet. There was a faded red
stain. She felt no embarrassment, only sweet happiness. She realized her maids
would see it and decided she would amply explain that her time had come upon
her early this month. Surely that would quell any curiosity.

She wrapped herself in her white bed
robe and opened the door into the antechamber. A huge copper tub stood over by
the fireplace, nearly filled to the run with steaming water. Maggie and Elspeth
did a quick curtsy when they saw their mistress was awake and continued to
prepare for her bath by pouring lavender oil into the water and laying out
scented soaps and a sponge.

“Good morn, lassie,” Maggie said
thickly. “Almos’ ready fer yer bath.”

Jordan nodded, running her fingers
through her mussed hair.

“No hurry. I am still waking up.”
She cast her eyes to the half-open door of the smaller adjoining chamber. “Has
Lady Jemma returned?”

“Nay, mistress,” Maggie said.

Jordan tried not to let her concern
show. She wondered what had delayed Jemma’s release and prayed fervently that Jemma
had not landed her own self on the rack with her big mouth again.

As if in answer to her prayer there
was a knock on the door. Elspeth opened it to find a glowering Jemma standing
in the jamb.

“Jemma.” Jordan exclaimed and ran to
her. “Come in now.”

It was then she noticed Kieran and Paris
standing behind her cousin. As Jemma moved silently into the room, Jordan was
left standing in the doorway facing the two knights. She wasn’t sure if she
should thank them or chase them away, so she settled for the least violent of
the two options.

“My thanks for releasing Jemma,” she
said.

Kieran’s eyes followed Jemma until
she disappeared from view. “Thank the captain, my lady,” he said. “‘Twas his
doing.”

Jordan nodded. “Very well, then. I
shall when I see him.”

When they did not leave immediately,
she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Jemma was not in the room before
stepping out into the hall and closing the door softly behind her.

“Was she…treated well?” she asked
hesitantly. “Nothing has been done to her, has it?”

“Nay, my lady,” Paris answered. “She
is unharmed, although I must say that Lady Analiese is in a fury over it. Alexander
is still demanding satisfaction for the insult he was delivered, so I would
advise you to keep your cousin in check. If she wants to retain her pretty hide,
she had better control her tongue, at least until their anger has cooled.”

Jordan nodded solemnly, relieved
than Jemma had not been touched in any way. Even though William had told her he
would not harm her, the situation might have changed since last night. She thanked
the knights and they went bowed gallantly.

She called softly to Kieran as he
descended the stairs behind Paris. Like an eager pup, he bound back up the
steps and to her side.

“My lady?” he responded.

She smiled at him. “I am sure Jemma
was glad to see ye this morn, even if she neglected to say so.”

He almost blushed. “Simply doing my
duty, my lady. Sir William asked me to return her to her rooms.” He looked as
if he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.

Jordan eyed the man. Stubborn as Jemma
was, she would probably never give gentle Kieran a fighting chance to woo her.
She decided that Jemma needed some help.

“Kieran,” she purred mischievously. “Jemma
thinks ye’re handsome. She told me so. I know she was glad to see ye.”

He did blush then, running his
finger along his collar of his tunic as if he thought it was too tight. He
struggled with his composure for a moment before she took mercy on him.

“I just wanted ye to know,” she told
him. “She is a stubborn, willful wench but she has got a heart of gold and
could make God himself laugh. Do not be put off by her demeanor.”

She went into the room and shut the
door. In the vacant corridor, Kieran grinned broadly and shook his fists
triumphantly in the air. The smile split his face in two as he descended the
stairs two at a time.

Jordan went to Jemma’s smaller bed
chamber, noting that her cousin was already moving to undress.

“Are ye all right?” she demanded
earnestly.

Jemma looked angry and tired. “Aye,
my body is sound,” she replied. “But I have a greater hatred now for the
English than I ever had before.”

Jordan began to help Jemma strip off
the heavy silk. “I am sorry,” she apologized. “Had I not returned Analiese’s
insult, ye might not have felt the need to offend Alexander. I know ye were
only defending me.”

Jemma shrugged out of the dress. “He
deserved it, Jordi, and I dunna regret the insult for a moment. Just as I told
yer precious captain.”

“He came to ye?” Jordan asked.

“Aye, this morning before the sun
was up, he was standing in my cell with a tray of porridge and ale,” Jemma
replied. “He stood there while I ate the whole thing, asking me only once if I
regretted my words. Big brute, he is.”

Jordan stiffened. “What do ye mean
he is a brute? Did he try to harm ye?”

“Nay,” Jemma was out of her
undergarments and standing stark naked. “I meant that he is so big he seemed to
fill up my entire cell. He never lifted a hand nor raised his voice, but I
felt…I felt a-feared of him just the same. The man has a power about him that
none of the other knights do.”

Jordan smiled faintly. “Not even
Kieran?”

Jemma lifted her eyes to meet her
cousin’s. “Kieran is larger than the captain, but he does not radiate the same
presence. ‘Tis difficult to explain, but in the cell I actually felt safe and
frightened at the same time.”

Jordan knew exactly what she meant.
She stood up and put her arm around her cousin’s shoulders. “Come on, lass,”
she said softly. “That tub out yonder is big enough for the two of us.”

They bathed each other and dressed
carefully. Jemma selected one of Jordan’s yellow brocade surcoats with
shortened sleeves while Jordan opted for a pale green silk that matched the
color of her eyes. The bodice clung to her like a second skin while the full skirt
cut away to reveal snatches of an ivory satin sheath. She pulled the front of
her hair back away from her face and secured it with a crystal clip, leaving the
back falling softly to her waist.

Jemma looked at herself in the
mirror. “This dress is too long, too,” she observed. “Can ye see about getting
me some dresses made?”

“Aye, I was thinking on it just now,”
Jordan agreed. “I shall ask the earl when next I see him.”

Jordan went to the window and
inhaled deeply the rapidly warming air. “I think we shall go for a walk this
morn,” she said decisively. “I would see this kingdom I am to be countess over.”

“But what about the incident
yesterday?” Jemma reminded her. “Do ye think it wise to go out so soon?”

Jordan cocked her eyebrow. “I will
not be a prisoner in the castle,” she told her. “I intend to meet the people
and show them that they have nothing to hate. Might as well start today. Are ye
coming?”

“Ye know I am,” Jemma said.

Jordan gathered her handkerchief and
moved to the door. “Let us see who my watchdog is today,” she remarked
passingly, then glanced at Jemma. “And I expect the best behavior from ye, no
matter what might be said or done. Understood?”

“Aye,” Jemma said as if she was
insulted by the question.

Adam stood in the hall with three
men-at-arms. His fair young face lit up when he saw Jordan open the door.

“My lady,” he greeted with a bow. “How
may I serve you today?”

Jordan smiled at the young man. “Are
ye to be my sitter today?”

“Aye, my lady,” Adam had a nice,
soothing voice. “I have the pleasure.”

“Good,” she said. “We wish to go for
a walk and see Northwood.”

A shadow of a doubt crossed his
face. “I must make sure it will be all right with Sir William,” he said
politely.

Jordan put her hands on her hips. “It
will be, and I am going at this very moment. You may wait here in the hall and
guard an empty room as ye wait for a reply, or you may come with me now.”

He could see her determination and
was not quite sure how to handle her bullying. But, as a gracious knight, he
bowed to her wishes and within minutes Jordan and Jemma were out in the morning
sunshine, followed closely by Adam and the three soldiers.

The day was bright and warm and
wonderful and Jordan’s mood was light and happy. Jemma kept up a steady stream
of chatter, but Jordan could see that she was preoccupied. It did not take a
genius to figure out that she was looking for Kieran. Jordan listened to her
loosely, keeping her own eyes open for William.

The last time she had seen him was
after he had made love to her and she wondered with a nervous stomach if he had
regretted the action after he’d had time to think over it. She was divided
between being thrilled to see him and apprehensive of the same. Would he still
feel the same? She did, with all her heart. She hoped he would, too.

They met up with Deinwald and
Michael. As they were exchanging pleasantries with the knights, Kieran snuck up
behind Jemma, poked her in the arm, and nearly scared the wits from her. He smiled
broadly as she called him every name she could think of.

“Ah, so I see that a night in the
cellar has done nothing to subdue your wild tongue,” Deinwald commented with a
scowl. “What will it take, banshee? A few days on the rack or in the cold room?
“

Jemma’s mouth opened into an
outraged ‘O’. “Who asked ye, Deinwald? I dunna recall even speaking to ye, so
keep out of my conversations.”

“Aye, Deinwald, do shut up,” Kieran
agreed. “I was enjoying the tongue lashing.”

Michael and Deinwald exchanged
meaningful glances, definitely reading a sexual connotation into Kieran’s
statement. Kieran saw their looks and narrowed his eyes warningly, slugging Michael
full on in the chest with the back of his hand to emphasize the threat. Fortunately,
Jemma and Jordan were oblivious to the plausible sexual innuendo.

With the knights in a semi
slug-fest, Jordan ignored them and pushed on with her cousin. Jemma again
picked up the conversation where they had left off and Jordan continued to
listen absently. It took her a moment to realize that Kieran, Michael and
Deinwald had joined Adam and the soldiers, turning their little group into
quite a procession. She had to smile; they certainly were hell-bent on protecting
her.

They passed the tanner’s shed and
Jordan engaged the man in a conversation. At first, the ruddy man was hesitant
to talk to her, especially with four huge knights standing directly behind her,
but he loosened considerably when she began to praise the quality of his work. Jordan
knew little of tanning and asked the man many intelligent questions until he
was eagerly taking charge of the conversation, showing her his wares and
explaining techniques. The dialogue ended with him promising to make her a fine
pair of boots and she thanked him graciously.